Throughout our lives we experience change ranging from the gentler, subtler kind to the more ‘rattling of your bones’, transformational kind. It’s the transformational change I am deeply curious about because it can be so raw, yet extremely liberating.

I recently dove into a fresh wave of transformational change in the company of seventy-five other women in the Joshua Tree desert; all of us with a deep desire to throw into the fire that which no longer served, a death and rebirth, a stepping into our full power and truth of what we are here to do in this lifetime. The journey afterward has been profound and I found myself drawn to the crab to see what insights from nature it had to offer about this transformational “shedding of skin”.

Crabs go through multiple molting stages in their lifespan. They must shed their exoskeleton (“shell”) to grow. After crabs molt they are highly vulnerable with their new soft exoskeleton. As a result, crabs will often hide until their new “shell” has hardened. In addition, they must grow into their new larger “shell”.

All of this resonates deeply with my own experience of transformational change. In order to grow, there must be the letting go of the layers – thoughts, patterns, behaviours – that no longer serve; it’s the “shedding of one’s skin”.

It often is a vulnerable time afterward as everything feels raw, new, soft, and unfamiliar. Honoring and nurturing one’s vulnerable state is key to embodying this ‘new skin’.

There is this sense of our ‘new skin’ being larger than what we are accustomed to. To me that’s the liberation. There’s room to move in and around it as we familiarize ourselves with our new re-combobulated, re-vitalized self. With time and patience we grow into and embody it.

If we want to grow, change is unavoidable. If we offer ourselves patience and tenderness during the process it can be quite remarkable and liberating, often setting us in a new healthy and meaningful direction in our lives.

“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly” ~ Henri Bergson

At some point eventually, inevitably, this ‘vessel’ that I am starts to splinter apart into fragments. Like a ship, I feel as though I am sinking into the abyss from the overload of work related stress, over-commitment, overwhelm, resentment, disenchantment, illness and out of balance state. It’s too much for too long. The cracks run deep now. I am no longer a stable, sustainable vessel. Trying to bail out what burdens me seems futile. This time the S.O.S message is REAL. “Save Our Soul” whispers the soft, reverberating voice in my mind.

“Ships don’t sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down.” – Unknown

Standing at the proverbial fork in the road, a distinct and crucial choice is before me. More of the same – surely at the demise of my eroding personal well-being. Or charting a new course – navigating with my inner compass into something unknown requiring courage, trust and curiosity that will lead me to a better quality life. One that feels purposeful. One that inspires and energizes me to be in greater service for humanity and the planet. One that nourishes my soul and my connections in life.

This is my story. I was in a job that became soulless for me over time and I eventually made the necessary choice to leave a 16.5-year career to embark on a transformational journey to create the life I desire to live. Through this blog series, it is my intention to share my experience and what I have learned throughout this journey so far to provide a place of support and inspiration for others during their journey of job and lifestyle change – from getting to a state of readiness to taking creative action. My hope is that you too will share your personal stories for engaging, meaningful conversation. May we support each other in creating health-full, purposeful lives with grace and confidence.

Stay tuned for the next entry How Did I End Up Here?

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Greetings! It has been some time since my last Messages from the Tide Pool and I hope this finds you all well. Big change was afoot for me leading into the summer that called for a pause, but beautifully provided the inspiration for this Message from the Tide Pool.

The fog blankets the shoreline on an early September morning, common this time of year along the coast. Do we venture out on our paddleboards as planned, or abandon the idea? Of course there are increased risks or hazards to be aware of. With safety and navigation tools in hand, we set out into an area we are very familiar with.

But the fog has obscured this familiarity; the landmarks have all but disappeared and have morphed into unrecognizable forms as though magically created by Khaos, the ancient Goddess of mist and fog. We paddle on, our eyes constantly adjusting to the appearance and disappearance of shapes before us as the fog thickens and dissipates, thickens and dissipates. There is a shift from our practical navigation skills, to calling upon our other senses.

Hearing is elevated, listening for foghorns, grunts of harbour seals, and shrill calls of oyster catchers, to name a few of the sounds that help us grasp our bearings relative to lighthouses, boats and small islets. Then there is the sense of trust; trusting one’s inner knowing of where they are in this world, in the ‘right’ place.

Then it happens. Like passing through to the other side of a veil, we find ourselves in a magnificent opening, clear of all fog and the morning sun ablaze. It is stunning. Looking back toward the shore, completely enveloped in fog, the contrast is stark. The journey offered us amazing marine wildlife encounters including a small pod of harbour porpoises otherwise never to be experienced had we stayed tethered to the shore.

The metaphor of this experience is profound for me. Staying tethered to the familiar on one side of the veil, while the unfamiliar and unknown wait on the other side. Recently in my own life I finally took the courageous step to untether myself from the side of the veil that was keeping me from living a better life I knew was possible, and walked to the other side taking with me tools already acquired from life experiences, but most importantly trust that when I emerged on the other side I would know what next step to take. From there another step to take would be realized, then another, and another, until I could see that a beautiful new life path was forming, created by my courage to step into the unknown.

Can we change our perspective from fear of and resistance to the unknown to curiosity of life’s mysterious veil offering us something beautiful in exchange for trusting and moving into the unfamiliar?

What mysterious veil is beckoning you to walk through for a brighter, better quality life?

(A side note… I am currently conducting a survey related to the big change I mentioned that concerns women leaving their conventional job in order to create a better quality life. If this speaks to you, please take a look and consider forwarding to anyone you know who might be suited to complete the survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LZC8BF2)

Spring is here again, bringing thousands upon thousands of jellyfish-like creatures to the west coast shoreline. Known commonly as the by-the-wind sailor (or Velella velella for the biologists), this translucent and purplish-blue animal spends most of its life afloat on the surface of the ‘high seas’ such as the Pacific Ocean.

What is amazing is that instead of being completely at the mercy of the ocean currents and winds, the by-the-wind sailor actually has a sail set diagonally along its surface that essentially dictates the direction it is going and ultimately the shore it may end up on (those that wash up on the Pacific west coast shores have their sails directed in a northwest to southeast direction).

What ‘ocean of life’ are you traveling through right now? What ‘sail’ can you set that will take advantage of life’s winds and take you where you need to go? Is it taking a specific action? Making a long overdue connection?

Unlike the by-the-wind sailor, we have the ability, if we are willing, to reposition our ‘sail’ if the water or shore is not right for us. What adjustments can you make to your ‘sail’? Is it a thought? A belief? A pattern? A story you are telling yourself? It does not need to be big, just a one-degree shift can set you towards an entirely new destination.

Happy New Year! Yes, a new year has begun with the excitement and hope of fresh possibilities and opportunities.

The winter brought many wild, windstorms to our coast, tossing a tangle of seaweed onto the beaches, an offering of food and shelter for the shoreline creatures and nutrients for the creation of new life. Where the seaweed once took hold, is now clear space; ready for new life and new growth reaching toward the sunlight.

What space can we clear as we embark on a new year? What can we let go of? What can we welcome in? What can we do less of? More of? What changes and shifts can we make that supports us in being the best expressions of who we are meant to be; authentic, loving, compassionate and joyful beings? I’m letting go of perfection and welcoming in more adventure and time in nature, giving back to the environment and community in my own unique way. I would love to hear what changes are inspiring you for the New Year. May the New Year bring you all that you wish for.